


dont you tell me we weren't hypnotised

by CallicoKitten



Series: put your name and blood on everyone and make the evening news [3]
Category: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, M/M, Mental Instability, SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS, Unhealthy Relationships, god fucking save me from this ship, is it even a ship if its only me and like two other people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-06-02 20:08:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6580498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallicoKitten/pseuds/CallicoKitten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He finds Lex in a cavernous room, his back to Bruce his hands outstretched. He turns slowly, the alien goo sliding off of him in heavy drops, thick and dark like blood. There is a blankness in his eyes, a disorientation before he smiles, faintly, "Ta - da," he says.</p>
            </blockquote>





	dont you tell me we weren't hypnotised

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote that first piece for smuts sake and now im hooked
> 
> starts at lex's book thing (library benefit?) and goes wrong from there, really
> 
> references the deleted scene with lex being arrested in the ship so if you haven't seen that, maybe find it (it's on youtube, i believe) and watch that first
> 
> title is from "we have it all" by the pim stones

Bruce has never been to Lex's mansion before now and it registers somewhere within him that that is rather odd. He has known Lex - known _of_ Lex, he should say - since he was simply the jr to his father's glory, the well dressed polite little thing that occasionally accompanied his father to meetings and stared unnervingly at everyone he could. Outside of Alfred and some members of the board, Lex is probably one of the longest standing features in Bruce's life.

He's avoided the trip for so long for two reasons: one is that there was a time when he wanted nothing to do with Lex Luthor with his father's mysterious death and his tech empire. And two, now he _wishes_ he wanted nothing to do with Lex Luthor and his sneer and quick, clever eyes and his tech empire.

He flashes the photographers outside a roguish smile, waves away their questions about his solo arrival with a wink and the promise that he'll find someone before the night is over (and he can almost _hear_ Alfred rolling his eyes.) Playing Bruce Wayne: Billionaire Playboy is beginning to get old but no one seems to be losing interest.

He sidesteps the more prying reporters and steps inside, spots Lex almost immediately.

Bruce looks away, lets his gaze slide easily over Lex as though he hasn't seen him, spots someone else he vaguely knows and makes a show of swaggering across the room to greet them. Lex will have noticed. Lex will not be pleased. It's a twisted little game he likes to play, _playing with an armed nuclear warhead,_ as Alfred calls it.

There had been a time a year or so ago where they'd graduated from fucking in boardrooms and the bathrooms of expensive clubs, when they had mostly fucked in Bruce's bedroom or their various combined holiday villas and Bruce had woken up with Lex more often than he hadn't. And oddly, it had _worked,_ which, Bruce is fairly sure, is what killed it.

That and Lex's hopeless obsession with Superman.

The tabloids had had a field day with it, Bruce had laughed them off with jokes about Lex Luthor being the _last_ person who needed a sugar daddy and Lex had complicated things by generally being Lex and even with no solid evidence it was hot gossip for a while.

That's all over though. Nowadays, they're back to occasional, rough flings and snarking at each other from across rooms.

"I still don't understand why this is necessary," Alfred sulks, in Bruce's ear.

"If I can get him to give me the meteor willingly then I won't have to steal it," Bruce replies. "I thought you'd approve."

There is a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line, exhaled slowly. Alfred does that when he's mad, when he's mentally counting to ten in favour of exploding. "I would _approve_ of a plan that doesn't involve you _canoodling_ with Alexander Luthor anymore. That boy is _dangerous_ , Bruce."

And oh, Bruce knows. Rather twistedly, he's sure that's part of the appeal.

"He's already unstable. He doesn't need you using him to kill your fellow heroes. Just plant the bloody bug and be done with it."

"It'll be fine, Alfred," Bruce assures.

\---

It's easy enough to corner Lex amongst all the festivities, to let Lex lead him off to somewhere empty and isolated.

"My, my," Lex purrs, "Bruce Wayne. Finally making his grand entrance to Metropolis."

Bruce smiles, "I've been to Metropolis before, Lex."

" _Yes,_ but not _here_." Lex is pacing, walking in lazy circles around Bruce so that Bruce has to turn to follow his gaze. "And what exactly is it that has brought you all this way, Mr Wayne?"

"I was _invited_ ," Bruce points out.

"I've invited you before," Lex returns.

"Maybe I just wanted to show my support."

Lex chuckles, "Do you even know what this fundraiser is for?" His circles are tighter now, if Bruce moved an inch in either direction they'd collide.

"Um. Books," Bruce says.

Lex stops, tilts his head to look up at Bruce and smirks, "One day, Mr Wayne, you're going to have to stop pretending you don't know what you're doing half the time."

"Maybe," Bruce agrees. He moves then, steps forwards and Lex, reflexively, steps backwards. "I hear, you've recently added something _interesting_ to your R and D department."

Lex is backed into a corner but from his expression, you wouldn't know it. "My R and D department is _filled_ with interesting things. You'll have to be more specific, I'm afraid."

He twists Lex around, presses him up against the wall, wraps an arm around his chest and lines their hips up. "I need the meteorite, Lex," he says, mouthing at Lex's neck.

Lex pushes his hips back against Bruce's, "Ah, the meteorite.  Now tell me, what use would _Bruce Wayne_ have for a silly little thing like that?" He doesn't ask how Bruce knows about its existence, how Bruce knows about its importance. Maybe he knows Bruce keeps tabs on him, maybe he's just too caught up in his own little world right now to notice.

"What do _you_ want with it, Lex?"

"Oh, that would be _telling_ ," Lex says and Bruce can hear the smirk. He tries to move, tries to shove Bruce off of him but Bruce holds him firm, nips at Lex's ear-lobe. "I have a speech to make."

"Your speeches are always awful," Bruce tells him. "No one will mind."

Lex goes still. If there's one thing Bruce knows for certain, it's that Lex Luthor does not like to be teased. He's about to twist himself around in Bruce's grip, lips pursed, eyes narrowed, biting words on his tongue so instead, Bruce winds a hand through Lex's hair and _twists_ and whatever Lex was about to say or think or do is swallowed up by a soft gasp.

He sucks a mark into the base of Lex's throat, "Come on, Lex. You know you want to."

Lex exhales slowly, his hips jerk against Bruce's once and it's been too long, Bruce can feel himself getting distracted and that's all Lex needs. He pushes Bruce off of himself and turns, hooking one arm around Bruce's neck and yanking him down to deliver a biting kiss.

"Finders keepers," he whispers against Bruce's lips. "See you after the speech, Mr Wayne."

Bruce watches him go with a scowl on his face. In his ear, Alfred buzzes, "So back to plan A, Mr Wayne?"

"You were _listening?_ " Bruce hisses. They have _rules_ about this kind of thing.

Alfred sounds unfazed. "I merely wanted to make sure he didn't murder you and stash you in that tacky modern art nightmare of his."

\---

Bruce has never quite figured out if Lex knows he's Batman. Lex certainly knows that Bruce Wayne: millionaire playboy is a facade but whether he knows the truth is another matter entirely. He plants his bug and watches Lex's (predictably awful) speech.

Lex introduces him to a reporter that Bruce has never heard of, he's handsome in a forgettable kind of way and Bruce feels oddly jealous. There's no reason Lex should know this reporter's name, he's a nobody but he's Lex's kind of handsome and Lex knows that Bruce knows that.

Maybe he's just doing this to make Bruce jealous. Maybe not.

Either way, Bruce gets his car stolen, along with the bug and Lex is somehow aware of this. Bruce would be convinced that Lex orchestrated this whole thing if the woman hadn't also snatched his bug. If Lex knew Bruce was spying on him he wouldn't be climbing into Bruce's lap with wine-sweet breath and heavy-lidded eyes.

This is a bad idea and Bruce knows it. Knows it more now than he ever has. Lex Luthor has always been dangerous, has always been something of a hair-trigger, but now Bruce has proof. Now, Lex's lofty notions of a plan have solidified into something horrific and Bruce knows this because there is only one reason Lex would want that meteor, one reason Lex would ask for access to the downed alien ship.

(And there is part of Bruce that thinks, as Lex leads him through his mansion, that the fact that Lex Luthor thinks killing Superman is good idea, should set off alarm bells.)

"Are you going to tell me," Lex asks, his lips pressed against Bruce's, "Why you're so interested in the meteor, yet?"

Bruce has long done away with Alfred's comms device. He smirks, nips at Lex's lips, "The same reason you do. Money."

Lex exhales, "Ah. Always about the money with you, isn't it?" He pulls back a fraction. His arms are either side of Bruce's head, hands splayed against the headboard, boxing Bruce in. A smirk that Bruce wants to kiss away playing across his lips.

"And it isn't with you?" Bruce asks.

Lex grins like he knows something Bruce doesn't, "There are more important things in this world than money, Bruce Wayne."

"Mm," Bruce rolls his hips, Lex's eyes flutter shut briefly. "Like what, Lex?"

Lex presses a kiss to the corner of Bruce's mouth, then his cheek, then his throat. The kiss becomes a bite and Bruce hisses, tangling a hand in Lex's hair. " _Power_ ," Lex smirks, when looks back up at Bruce. His eyes are hot with something Bruce doesn't like, fever, madness, both. A shiver runs up Bruce's spine. He trace's Lex's with his hands, trying instinctively to soothe but he can already feel the jittery, nervous energy thrumming through Lex, pulling him taught and tighter. Tighter and tighter and tighter.

He's going to snap, Bruce realises, and there's not a thing he can do about it.

He can take the meteorite, slow Lex up a little at least. Take care of Superman and then turn his attention to this next disaster. Lex kisses him hungrily. There's a sense of finality to this, Bruce thinks as he grips Lex's hips. Whatever Lex's involvement in all this, Bruce will be taking him down.

He growls into the kiss and tries to twist them over but Lex holds firm and still. "Nu-uh, Mr Wayne," he says, between kisses. "We're in my house today, in _my_ bed, so we'll be playing by _my_ rules."

And Bruce does not argue.

\---

(Lex is still half asleep when Bruce leaves. It's early, far too early for anyone to be up but Bruce wants to get back to Gotham as quickly as possible. Lex's hair is sleep rumpled and he wakes with the sort of slow bleariness that speaks of far too many sleepless nights as of late.

It's a bad habit of Lex's, Bruce knows. He's so up most of the time that he forgets he needs to sleep. Lex watches Bruce dress quietly, curled up in the blankets. When Bruce is done he pauses, looks over and Lex and thinks he should probably say something.

Lex rolls over, staring across the room at a painting that hangs on the opposite wall.

"This was my father's room," Lex says distantly. "I really must fix that painting."

Bruce leaves without saying a word.)

\---

He presses his fingers to Clark's throat, searching for a pulse he knows he won't find. Clark is still under his touch, already going cold.

He's thinking of Jason. There was more blood then as he pulled the body from the wrecked building. Blood and broken bones and wide, blank blue eyes.

He slides Clark's eyes shut.

Lois cries quietly, like she always expected this, knew she could do nothing to stop it happening. In a way, Bruce can relate.

Across the city, police surround the Kyrptonian ship. Diana nods to him and Bruce goes, cutting across the rooftops to land in the midst of the chaos. The officers have called in the army, someone is saying, no one has dared to enter yet. No one tries to stop him.

He finds Lex in a cavernous room, his back to Bruce his hands outstretched. He turns slowly, the alien goo sliding off of him in heavy drops, thick and dark like blood. There is a blankness in his eyes, a disorientation before he smiles, faintly, "Ta - da," he says.

The smile is short lived.

Bruce wants to break him. Wants to snap his stupid throat and smash him against the walls of this dank place until Lex is limp and bleeding and still.

Bruce wants to go back.

Bruce wants none of this to have _happened._

Bruce wants to have stopped this.

That's his curse, he thinks. He never acts when it really matters.

He steps forwards, sloshes through the liquid until he's got Lex within an arm's reach and thunders, "What have you _done_?"

Lex flinches, then he giggles. "I've done what no one else could. I've killed a god, Batman. I _am_ a God. And the bell has been rung," he smiles faintly. Flinches again when Bruce grabs him by the collar and hauls him out of the slime. Doesn't struggle as Bruce drags him through the ship.

"The bell can't be unrung," he says, babbles. "They're coming, Batman, they're coming."

Bruce closes his eyes against it, only opens them again when he can shove Lex roughly into the arms of waiting police officers. "Watch him closely," he barks.

"Ding, ding, ding," Lex says, his eyes wide and faraway. " _Ding, ding, ding._ "

\---

At Clark's funeral, Bruce finds himself wishing he could explain himself to Martha Kent. Wishes he could find the words he needs to to say _this is my fault_ , _I could have stopped it but I didn't._ Diana knows somehow, instinctively maybe that Bruce blames himself. She puts a hand on his shoulder as they lower the coffin and squeezes. Bruce avoids Lois' eye all day.

When he gets home, he heads straight to the batcave. His armour doesn't need repairing but he works on it anyway, polishing already gleaming surfaces with the news channels on in the background.

Lex is being sentenced; they are uncertain how culpable he is in light of his mental health issues. It is a shame, they keep saying, that no one saw this coming. It's a lie, Bruce is fairly sure that everyone who met Lex Luthor saw this coming, it's just that no one cared enough to do anything about it.

Alfred has been very gentle with him since Clark's death, since Lex's arrest. He brings Bruce a cup of tea every few hours and takes away the undrunk ones without any fuss.

Bruce works until his fingers are numb and his vision is starting to blur. On the screens, they are showing news reel clips of Lex. His phone is buzzing. _Diana,_ he thinks. She's the only one outside of Alfred to have that particular number.

He presses the heels of his hands into his eyes.

Alfred presses a hand to his back, just between his shoulder blades, "It's alright, Master Wayne," he says, very softly. "This wasn't your fault."

It isn't, it really isn't and it _is._ It unavoidably _is._

He jerks away from Alfred's touch and turns. Alfred is studying him closely, considering, like he's seeing something in Bruce he's never really seen before. "Bruce," he says, quietly, "Did you - "

Bruce doesn't want to know the end of the sentence. He flicks off the monitors and turns away, "We need to get to work on finding the metahumans," he says, mouth dry.

For a moment he thinks Alfred will argue but he doesn't. He swallows, "Yes, Master Wayne."

**Author's Note:**

> im trying to write a lex character study, i really am, but its taking me to some dark personal places and maybe that's a good thing
> 
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> [tumblr](http://paracosmss.tumblr.com/)


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